Saturday, January 10, 1998

Cowboys fans: Some pleased, few surprised

By PAM EASTON / Associated Press Writer

DALLAS (AP) -- Barry Switzer, almost an instant success when he arrived in Dallas four seasons ago, was diminished in many Cowboys' fans eyes when they heard word of his imminent departure.

Switzer and Cowboys owner Jerry Jones this week reached an agreement for the coach's departure, a source told The Associated Press on Thursday. For Dallas native Ben Ganter, it wasn't a moment too soon.

"I'm so happy it's happened," Ganter, 24, said today at a Dallas sports bar. "He's a terrible coach and I hope we never have to see him again."

The Cowboys, after a 6-10 season in which they failed to reach the playoffs for the first time since 1990, reached the NFC title game in Switzer's rookie year and won the Super Bowl in his second year.

Amid physical and mental breakdowns that brought about undisciplined play, Dallas finished with a five-game skid this season, prompting Switzer to say: "Maybe I don't deserve to come back. Maybe Jerry ought to fire the entire bunch of us."

But Switzer has taken much of the blame for the Cowboys' current plight after the team tumbled from NFL champ to also-ran in two seasons.

"Maybe the Cowboys will win next year. I've always followed the Cowboys since Switzer's been here," said another fan, Roland Niederkorn. "They got lucky once.

"When people mention Switzer, I think of dumb and dumber," said Niederkorn, who has lived in Dallas for four years. "When it comes to college, he's a great coach. When it comes to the pros, he doesn't have it."

As head coach at Oklahoma from 1973 to 1988, Switzer was the guiding force behind one of the most dominant college football programs of all time.

His 157-29-4 record during that era underscores the long-term quality Switzer brought to the Sooners. His .837 winning percentage at Oklahoma is the fourth-highest mark in college history, behind only Notre Dame's Knute Rockne (.881) and Frank Leahy (.864) and Carlisle's George Woodruff (.846).

Switzer guided the careers of more than 120 Sooners players who were later drafted by the NFL.

Of those players, 16 were first-round picks, including eventual Pro Bowlers such as Joe Washington, Lee Roy Selmon, Billy Sims, Keith Jackson and Troy Aikman.

Switzer's head coaching career began in 1973 at Oklahoma, where he was elevated from the position of offensive coordinator under Chuck Fairbanks.

Switzer guided the Sooners to 28 consecutive victories from 1973 to 1975 and 37 straight games without a defeat. When Oklahoma won national championships in 1974 and 1975, it marked the first time in history that a team had won back-to-back titles more than once.

During his 16-year tenure, Switzer won three national championships (1974, 1975 and 1985), 12 Big Eight titles and won eight of 13 bowl contests. His teams never finished lower than second place in the Big Eight.

Following a playing career at the University of Arkansas from 1955-59, Switzer spent two years in the Army before returning to Arkansas in 1962, where he served as the scout team coach for two years.

He then coached offensive ends from 1964-65. While working under Frank Broyles at Arkansas, Switzer coached both Jones and Jimmy Johnson -- the man he would replace as Cowboys coach nearly 30 years later.

Dallas fan Ed Duillen said Switzer's fate wasn't surprising.

"I'm sure he gets his money now," said Duillen, who has lived in Dallas for eight years. "It was something that was expected and it's good timing considering the draft."

Switzer was hired March 30, 1994, as the third head coach in Cowboys history.

Within 22 months, he delivered a pair of NFC East Championships, an NFC title and a Vince Lombardi Trophy after the Cowboys 27-17 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 1996 Super Bowl.

In his third season, the Cowboys went 10-6 and again won the NFC East, becoming the first team since 1970 to win that division five straight times. But Dallas was bounced from the playoffs in a second-round loss to Carolina, and Switzer rapidly fell out of favor.

"I actually could care less, believe it or not," said Harold Pulcher, a Dallas resident for 10 years. "Everybody's seen it coming.

"It was pretty much an expected deal, although I didn't expect him to resign," he said. "I expected someone to come out and fire him."

Pulcher said one side to Switzer will be missed, however.

"He was a source of a lot of fun and jokes," he said.